Identify Normal
by crimsonsky132
Summary: She was the first good for nothing Chamber's kid. When she leaves, how will her friend, John, react? Seven years later she finally can come back, during the time the film takes place, and everything's changed. Will John still be that same friend? Maybe even something more... AceXOC
1. Chapter 1

**For my love of the Chamber's children and of Ace Merrill, here you go. Here's an intro, as every story has. But let's start seven years before the movie takes place; give you all a little taste of young John Merrill.**

Identify Normal

1951

It was a normal house, in the middle of a normal neighborhood, on the outskirts of a normal town. I went to a normal school, with normal classes, and normal teachers. At home I was surrounded by normal parents and normal brothers. The list goes on and on. This was my life, day in and day out. The only thing not so normal was my friend, John. Sure I had other friends, like Dennis Lachance and all the girls that thought he was cute, but for the most part, they were all normal. John was what had made life interesting here in Castle Rock. He was the kid who would always look for adventure. Most of the time that adventure would lead us to trouble. All of the parents, teachers, and well, pretty much every adult in town would say that he was no good; a good for nothing bastard like his father. I don't believe that; John was only looking for fun, and trust me; it's hard to find in such a small town. Most of the time we would walk up the creek; we had a little hideout about a mile outside of town. That was the only place that we didn't have to worry about being yelled at by our folks, the only place we wouldn't be judged.

John wasn't a bad kid, but it really seemed that way. The kids up on the view, the ones in the shop classes, would all spread nasty rumors about him. In return, I would get a reputation of my own. I would literally knock some sense into those brats, to teach them to leave John alone. That is why all the teachers called me a good for nothing Chambers' kid – for standing up for my friend. John could always stand up for himself; there was no doubt about it, but I always got ticked by hearing all of the lies and had to do something about it. Well, next year I'm going to laugh when John and I are in the college courses, while they get stuck making birdhouses.

It was just another day I guess; a Saturday. My younger brothers and I were watching the Mickey Mouse Club on the small television screen. I was squashed in between Richard and Christopher the whole time. I was twelve years old, and was always watching over the two of them. Rich was only about a year younger than me, and we both had the same eyes: brown, like our dad's. He also inherited the dark, curly had from our dad as well. Chris was the exact opposite, and had the light eyes like our mother, and we both had her sandy blonde hair. He was five years old, and was always trying to keep the peace. Both of my brothers were good kids, and they would be mighty handsome when they were grown up. We all got along for most of the time, except when Rich wanted to pick a fight with little Chris. He had nothing to prove, but he loved to act all rough and tough and seem like a macho man.

As the show was over we heard our mom call to us that breakfast was ready. Hurrying into the kitchen, we were overwhelmed by the smell of pancakes, and rushed over to take a seat. Breakfast was quiet with just the four of us. Dad liked to sleep in, and that was usually the way it was. This morning however, was different, and he woke up earlier than normal. We didn't know it until he stormed into the kitchen though, and glared at mom.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Mom didn't say anything. "Well?"

"I-I thought-" mom stuttered. Quickly I looked to Chris and Rich, and we silently slipped out of the room while dad began to yell at mom. That would happen once in a while, and me and my brothers tried to avoid it. Dad didn't drink very often, but when he did, you could feel the effects. We went out front onto the porch, and I ran a hand through my hair, sighing.

"So, what's the plan?" Rich asked quietly, sitting down onto the dusty wood flooring. Chris quietly mimicked his brother, and I looked on, thinking.

"I don't know. Just stay out of the house for a while." I said.

"Where are you going Sadie?" Chris piped up. I thought for a moment.

"Just for a walk. I could use some fresh air." I said shrugging my shoulders.

"No way." Rich scoffed. "You're probably just gonna hang out with that Merrill kid." I lightly smiled.

"Well, if I happen to see John, I don't see why we shouldn't hang out." I called out as I jumped down the steps and out to the street. Neither of them said anything after that, and I made my way down the sidewalk, glancing at all of the houses.

I wandered aimlessly for a good half an hour before I heard a familiar voice.

"Sadie!" I turned to come face to face with none other than Denny Lachance. He was a good friend of mine, and was right behind John on the list. No one came even close to those two because they were just that special. He was out walking with his kid brother, Gordon, who was probably as old as my brother, Chris.

"Hello there, Denny." I said, walking backwards. "Gordie." I nodded in acknowledgement.

"Hi." He said quietly.

"What's up with you two?"

"Well, we were going down to our dad's work. He forgot his lunch." Denny said, raising a sack in his hand.

"Yeah, mom was too busy to." Gordie added. Denny was such a good brother, always bringing Gordon with him. I was that way with Chris, but it was always a bit hard to get him away from his friends. Chris was friends with Gordie, the Duchamp kid, and with little Vern Tessio. I knew Vern's older brother, because we were in the same classes at school. He was always acting tough, and was after all the ladies. I cringed at the thought. He asked me out last year, and I didn't know what to say. Who wants a relationship when you're a kid? Honestly, there was nothing more awkward than that. When I didn't say anything he walked away towards Betty Harrison and asked her the same thing. She giggled and quickly said yes, and they walked away. I rolled my eyes and went home. I told Richard later on, and we laughed about how desperate the kid was. Denny brought me back into reality.

"So what are you up to this fine day?"

"Just walking around." I said, still walking backwards.

"You're gonna fall, Chambers." A new voice said, and as I span around, I ran straight into John Merrill. I hit the ground with a thud, but John pulled me up.

"I'll see you around, Sadie." Dennis said, glaring at John. John glared back at him. They had never liked each other, and always seemed to be fighting. What they were fighting over, I really don't know, but it was always uncomfortable when they were around each other. Denny and Gordie walked away, and John started walking me to the diner. Without another word, he walked inside and bought two cokes. As he came out, he handed me one and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"So, what's up with today? I usually don't see you until after lunch." He asked. I sighed.

"My folks got into it again, and I just needed to get away for a bit."

"Parents suck." He yelled. I nudged him in the shoulder.

"Shut it, Merrill. Your mother's a saint." His mom was the nicest, most welcoming person around. He could hurt someone if they said anything bad about his mother.

"Hell, that's not what I meant. You know what I'm talking about, Sadie." I knew immediately. He was talking about his dad, who had gone to jail for almost killing a guy. John's dad was an angry person, and I have no clue how his mom stayed with him for so long. John was an only child, so when his dad was around, he got hided. It was bad, and he usually had to stay home for a day or two afterwards.

After that thought, we silently made our way up the creek. I looked to him, and watched as he would absentmindedly run a hand through his golden blonde hair. He was looking to the ground, which meant he was deep in thought, and his light blue eyes were hidden. I was still a couple of inches taller than him, and his breathing was stiff.

"John, you need to breathe." I whispered, nudging his side. His head snapped up to the sky and he groaned. "Forget about him. He's not going to come back."

"But he's wrecked everything. He should be in the position of the guy he almost finished off; stuck in a hospital for the rest of his life. If he dares to come back, he'll be sorry." He snapped. I was worried, because this had happened quite a few times after his dad was locked up. He really doesn't need to have his father's temper, but how can I change that?

"John, forget him." I sighed. Then I looked ahead, seeing our little hideout about a hundred feet away. Smiling, I tapped his shoulder. "Race ya."

"Not now, Chambers."

"Come on. It's not that far." I whined. He smirked and looked to me.

"Begging?"

"You wish." I said, trying to trip him.

"Okay, Okay. Chill out." He chuckled. "You're on." He said, and took off.

"No fair!" I yelled, running after him.

"Come on, Sadie. Whoever said that life was fair?" he laughed, and continued running. Some friend I had, I thought, as a smile covered my face.

**Let me know what you think, and tell me what you would like to come out of this story. Thanks a bunch, Crimsonsky132**


	2. Surprise, Surprise

**Here we go again! I hope you all enjoy, and let me know what you think about this chapter. I can't wait to update now! I will shut it, so go, read away!**

Chapter 2

**Sadie's Pov**

"So, ready for school?" I questioned, looking up to the sunny sky.

"Are you serious, Chambers?" John said, sitting up in the scratchy grass.

"Well, yeah." I said honestly. This was the last weekend we had before school started. Boy, even that was something that I didn't know how to feel about. School would be completely different this year, with us being in the college courses together. I knew it was going to be hard for him, because it had taken a while to convince him to join me. School for me was pretty easy, but John had a hard time keeping track of everything. He had to do one thing at a time, while it was a piece of cake to multitask for me. Eh, silly me! It's not his fault he's a boy. Tee-hee…

"No, I'm not ready." John answered after a moment. I nodded, and thought of the first question to form in my head.

"Why not?" Stupid, stupid question to ask Sadie!

"Homework, teachers, and the kids up on the view." John counted off on his fingers. Duh! I thought, but nodded in agreement.

We just sat there until the sun was beginning to set, then headed back into town. Walking in silence was oddly comforting, but even then I couldn't help but hum the tune of the song in my head.

"Glory of Love by the Five Keys." John said smugly. I smiled and nodded, and he pulled out a cig. "Want one?" he asked. I shook my head and continued humming. I was caught short though, by the loud sound of my stomach growling. John laughed.

"Hungry?"

"Starved." I said proudly. "How about you?" I asked, and he too smiled.

"Food sounds great. Wanna stop by my house? My mom's bound to have something cooking." He asked, pointing in the direction of his house.

"You know, as much as I love your mom's cooking, I'm gonna have to say no to tonight. I'm in enough trouble as it is for being gone all day. Maybe another time?" I said. He nodded, and I noticed a flicker of sadness in his gorgeous blue eyes. That made me feel bad, but I shook it off. We began to walk again, well, I began to skip back. As we were turning the corner onto my street, I felt eyes on my back and turned back, to see John walking as if he had no care in the world, yet looking up, his eyes held a different story. He was looking, no, staring at me…weird, yet he seemed to be off in his own little world. I slowed down until I was next to him, and with my eyebrows furrowed, I asked, "John?"

"Hm?" he murmured, his eyes to the ground, still not paying attention. I grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face me, causing the two of us to stop dead in our tracks.

"Are you okay?" I asked, looking him in the eye. He seemed to snap out of his trance and looked up, straightening his posture.

"Everything's good, Chambers." He said, and I could swear a saw a light smile dance across his lips, yet, I was confused. I looked up, to see the stars begin to come out.

"What do you mean?" I wondered, stopping once again. John paused for a moment, and as he began to open his mouth, ready to answer, a voice called out.

"Sadie!"

Turning, I saw my little brother, Chris, running to us. His hair was flying back and forth, and his steps were uneven. I could hear him panting, and to be honest, it looked like he was going to fall over. I ran to him, and heard John following from behind.

"Chris, are you okay?" I asked in a panic, kneeling down beside him. He was breathing hard, and I had to wait to get an answer out of him.

"Yeah, I'm okay. But Rich might not be!" Chris's face was red, and he was freaking out.

"What do you mean?" John spoke up.

"We were lookin' for you, Sadie, and we didn't know where to go. We searched all over town, and, and, and then Rich said to check at Milo's-"

"Why would you go that far outside of town?" I asked.

"We needed to find you!" he yelled.

"Breathe kid." John said calmly. "What happened?"

"Milo saw us, and he had this dog come after us! Milo caught up to Rich, and he told me to run. I think he's gonna call dad, Sadie. We have to help." Chris was on the brink of tears.

"Why the hell would Milo go after him?" John asked. I gulped.

"I…I made fun of him last year." I whispered.

"Well what'd you say?"

"I made fun of his fat…ass." I concluded.

"How did he know we're related!" Chris whined.

"This is a small town, shrimp. Everyone knows everyone." John said.

"Well, what are we going to do?"

"Going to get Rich back." I said, standing up.

"How? You're only twelve, Sadie." Chris whispered.

"I don't know…" I answered quietly. Looking in the direction of Milo's, I set off, running as fast as I could. It didn't matter who was following behind, or what was soon to come. All I know now is that I have to get my brother.

...

I am never running again.

I have no clue how long it took, but eventually I found my way to Milo's junkyard. There was one light on over the whole area, and it was quiet…too quiet. As I was looking around, I heard something and looked up. I followed the source of the noise until I came to the fence. Slowly I turned around, and smacked into none other than Milo Pressman. Isn't this just great?

"Come on, someone's waiting for you." He said gruffly, and pulled my arm, dragging me to the other side of the junkyard. In the corner of my eye I saw Chris and John run up on the outside the fence. Quietly, and with my other hand, I shooed them to get out of sight. Milo grasped my arm tighter, and that forced me to turn back around. Once around to the other side, I saw an oh-so familiar truck. Uh oh.

"Sadie Chambers." My dad said stiffly, and I saw Rich was behind him. "Why did I have to come out here this late?" I gulped. "Oh, yeah. This is all because Richard and Christopher had to come and find you." I looked at Rich and he mouth 'sorry'. Carefully I shook my head as if not to say anything else.

"Sorry about this Milo." My dad said.

"Well, keep their little noses out of here from now on, Chambers. You know, this isn't the first time they've come on my property." Milo finished. My dad nodded. He let go of my arm, and I ran beside Rich.

"Where's Chris?" I looked around, and just as I was about to speak I was interrupted.

"Dad!" I saw Chris run in from the gate. I also saw that John was there, standing quietly. Chris ran to us, standing by me.

"We're going home." Dad said stiffly, and we herded into his truck.

"What about John?" I asked quietly. Dad looked to him, then back to me.

"He knows how to walk." He said loud enough for even John to hear. I looked to him, and he looked to the ground. Just to make things even better, the wind began to pick up. Dad looked back to him, then shook his head. He started the truck and took off. I'm so sorry, John…

Once we got home, I was overwhelmed by the smell of food, and walking in the direction of the kitchen, I heard my dad clear his throat.

"Sadie," He said sternly, "go to your room. No dinner tonight." I turned to him and sighed, the slowly ascended the stairs to my room, taking one last glance at my brothers, who shared a similar sympathetic look in their eyes. I didn't mean to, but I caught a side glance at dad as well, whose eyes had softened like he too was sorry, but when he noticed me looking, his glance turned cold again. I continued my way to my room, and once inside, I shut the door and plopped down on my bed. Pulling the soft blanket up to my chin, I almost fell asleep. Just before that happened though, I sat up. John is still out in the cold night, and look at me, falling asleep in my nice warm bed. This isn't fair… I stood up and walked over to the closed window overlooking our front yard, staring into the night. The leaves on the trees were dancing wildly. Crap. Just as I thought of going back for John, I saw my dad go to his truck and drive away. Probably to go have a drink; it really wouldn't surprise me.

With that thought, I grudgingly crawled back into bed, sad and hungry, trying desperately to fall asleep. I shouldn't be going to sleep, but looking for John. What if dad comes home though? No avail to sleep, for my inner battle and the fact that someone knocked on the door. Before I had the chance to say anything, Rich and Chris rushed in, each carrying some kind of food. I smiled, thinking of how great my brothers were. That made me feel guilty, because John's still out there.

**John's Pov**

It's freezing. I'm on the side of the road. I'm about three miles from home. I'm alone. It's dark. This night couldn't get any worse. Out of nowhere, I saw headlights in the distance.

"Who the hell would be out this late?" I murmured. Just to make it even more weird, the car slowed down as it came towards me. The car, wait, the truck stopped in front of me, and before I had a chance to think, the passenger door opened.

"Hop in Merrill." A familiar voice said. Oh shit. Upon further inspection, the driver was none other than Sadie's dad. I didn't move, or say a thing. Was this guy serious?

"Hurry up John, it's cold out here." He said quickly.

"Why?" I piped up. It looked like he was debating what to say, and I was confused.

"Doesn't matter. Hop in, kid. I'll take you home." He said as if it were being forced down his throat. He was tense, and that didn't comfort me in the least. Cautiously, I climbed into the seat, and shut the door. He seemed to relax a bit, and after a minute of driving, I decided to get to the bottom of this.

"Why the hell are you helping me out?" I asked wearily.

"Like I said, it doesn't matter." He said hotly. And that was that. I didn't pry any further, and the rest of the ride was silent. I can't help but think that something was wrong with the guy. I hope he didn't take it too hard on Sadie.

**Whoo! What do you guys think? I want to know. Thanks for reading, and I hope you review! Much love- Crimsonsky132.**


	3. Nothing Normal

**Hey you guys! Sorry that it's been a while, but life can get in the way. I hope you all enjoy, and let me know what you think.**

Chapter 3

**John's Pov**

That was one weird night, and I remember it far too well. Sadie's dad looked mighty uncomfortable pulling up to my place. I got out, but before I shut the door he began to talk.

"Listen here Merrill," he started gruffly; "I don't want Sadie getting in more trouble." After a moment I nodded. "Look, you're her friend, and as much as I don't like that, I can't change it. Don't ruin her, John. If you were only more like Dennis Lach-" I cut him off.

"I'm not Lachance." I said stiffly.

"Hell, that's for sure, but don't ruin my daughter. I know she likes ya, don't screw it up." I raised an eyebrow. She likes me?

"Don't get your head in the clouds Merrill."

"I never would." I retorted, turning to my house.

"Good." He said. "One more thing." I turned back and he raked a hand through his hair. "It'd be best if you didn't bring any of this up to Sadie." Without another word I turned back and walked up to my house, hearing Sadie's dad drive off. Before I made it to the door it swung open and I saw my mom, still wearing her white nurse uniform.

Shit.

"John, are you alright?" she asked worriedly. Phew, she's not mad.

"Yeah." Was the only answer I gave her. That night I couldn't help but let my head get in the clouds.

**Sadie's Pov**

That following week was weird from the start. That Sunday I had to be home all day and do chores around the house to make up for the trouble I caused. Dad also said that I was grounded from seeing John for a while. That will be difficult, because I have school with him. Dad won't keep me away from seeing my friends, especially not John.

On my way to school that Monday I spotted John immediately and ran over to him. When I asked if he was okay, he shrugged his shoulders and merely said that he got home faster than he had expected. From then on, John asked how my dad took it out on me. He always changes the subject now when I bring up how sorry I am because of that day. Maybe I should leave it alone now.

At home it was weird too, because dad was out later than he ever was before. It wouldn't have been noticeable if it was only one night, but now he was out later every night. Half of the time I don't even see him come home before I go to bed. Another thing that was out of the ordinary was that when dad would come home before I was in bed mom would leave. It was like she couldn't stand being there the same time as him. I have no idea what my mom does when she leaves the house. I hope she is okay though.

I could tell that Chris and Rich knew that something was wrong too, so we were closer to each other. When Chris would get hurt he would come to me instead of mom. Rich would tell me all of the great things he would do in a day instead of going to tell dad. I wish I had someone to go to. I mean, I know that I can tell John and Denny anything, but I wish that I could tell a grown up.

Because dad was home a lot later he wouldn't know that I'd hang out with John afterschool most days. We could go to his place where we'd get the best food in the world. His mom was amazing at cooking, but she worked as a nurse in the tiny doctors' office in town. She was always nice to us and I loved it. We'd also go to our fort when the weather was nice to just get away.

John acted a little different too. There would be subtle things to give it away, like how he would try and stand up taller or talk with more power. He also would pay more attention when we would talk. I mean, he always paid attention, but now he would show it by looking me in the eye more and by sitting up straighter. It wasn't bad, just different.

School even changed. The jerks from up on the view didn't bug me nearly as much and I got in less and less trouble. It was a little disappointing, because I wanted to show them that I could kick butt. In class I could tell that John was trying to learn, which brightened my mood. I knew the work was hard, but we'd get through it. I caught him taking notes a couple of times and when he would notice me looking he'd look up and smile. I'm glad John's my friend.

The only thing that didn't seem to change was Denny. He was always smiling and took everything in a calm way. It was nice, dare I say, that something was normal for a change.

After school one day we all went to the open field across from Denny's house for games. There were at least fifteen kids there along with me, John, and Denny. The game we had decided on was tag, which was awesome because I felt like I had a chance.

Billy Tessio was it first, and man, he went after all of the girls. The girl that got tagged was a slow runner, and once she gave up on trying to tag anyone Denny stepped up and let her tag him. All bets were off then. Denny was too fast for his own good, and I took off. Turning, I saw girls that weren't even running because they wanted to get tagged by Denny. That's not how the game works! Much to their dismay and to mine he grinned and started after me.

"No!" I yelled, running as hard as my legs would go. He must've given up and eventually ran after some other guy. I stopped and tried to catch my breath.

"You okay Chambers?" Looking up, John was just grinning my way.

"Yeah yeah. Aren't you tired of running?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"Nah, I'm ace at these games." We looked back to see that Denny still hadn't tagged the guy he was after. John laughed. "If I were tagged I wouldn't have given up chasing after you." I looked to him.

"Really now?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He nodded. Looking behind him, I noticed that Denny must've tagged the kid. He was coming straight towards us.

"Well, you'll get to test that out sooner than you think." With that I took off. A moment later I turned back to see John get tagged and he was coming after me.

I didn't want to get tagged. Period. That is why I would rather run my guts out than just let John tag me. Looking back again I saw that he turned to go another way. So much for sticking to his word… the only thing that that means is that I am the master of this game! Taking a moment to catch my breath I stopped again and put my hands on my knees. Eventually I looked up to see that John was gone. He wouldn't just leave the game, right?

I yelled when I noticed someone literally picked me up and threw me over their shoulder. Looking to my side I saw familiar blonde hair. No!

"What'd I tell you!" John laughed and let me down. How is he that strong? I didn't have time to think about it because then I heard the words I dreaded.

"Tag. You're it Sadie." John grinned and crossed his arms. No! I'm supposed to be good at this game.

"Hey you guys!" I turned and saw Denny running over to us.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Everyone's gotta go in now. It was a blast though." He smiled. I nodded in agreement. He put a hand on my shoulder and the other on John's. "You guys are some of the fastest runners I've seen. John, do you like to play football?" he asked. John shook his head cautiously. "Well that's a shame. I'll see you around John, I'll see ya Sadie." He smiled at me, turned, and gave John weird look. Then he went home. What was that about? Turning I noticed a scowl cover John's face.

"Do you know what time it is?" I asked, trying to distract him from whatever he was thinking about.

"Beats me." John shrugged.

"I hope my dad's not home yet. I didn't mean to stay out so late." I murmured.

"It'll be fine." He said with a grin. I shrugged my shoulders and he turned. "Well, I'll see ya later." I nodded and we went separate ways. When I came close to my place I started to hear yelling and noticed all of the lights were on at my house. I could start to distinctly hear that my parents were the ones making all of the noise.

"What the hell is going on?" I whispered. Cautiously I made my way up to the door and quietly opened it to step inside.

"You can't do this!" I heard my dad yell. "Both of you live here, and no way in hell am I letting you leave town with her, you little leech." He seethed.

"But I already got the papers approved." Mom snapped back.

"The only reason why they're approved is that you've probably slept with all of the guys who work on this kind of stuff! Don't think that I haven't seen you in the bar late at night. And I know what you have been doing."

"It is none of your business what I do in my free time! You are an ass and just want me for yourself!"

"What?"

"Well it's too late, we're leaving. And unless you want some legal trouble you won't get in the middle of this." Mom said stiffly. I silently gulped and made my way inside, trying to be quiet about shutting the door. It must've clicked shut a little too loud and mom and dad snapped their heads my way. Shit.

"H-hey." Mom said to me. Dad's expression was torn between frustration, confusion and…sadness?

"Am I in trouble?" I whispered. Mom shook her head.

"Sweetheart-" she began. There was something wrong with her tone. "We're going on a vacation. Go pack." What? Dad scoffed.

"Vacation? Why are you lying to her?"

"Because it is a vacation. A permanent vacation." She said knowingly.

"What do you mean?" I murmured.

"We're going to Vegas!" Mom squealed. "We are hopping on the train first thing in the morning. Now, go pack."

"Sadie's not going anywhere with you. You have no right to do this." Dad spoke harshly.

"Yes I do."

"I don't want to go." I said to her. Why the hell is she going to Vegas? "That's not fair. You know that Chris and Richard won't want to go either. Listen to dad." I said, absolutely confused. I'm not leaving my house, my school, my friends…I'm not gonna leave Dennis or John! What is her issue? She shook her head nonchalantly.

"Well Christopher and Richard aren't coming. It's just the two of us." What the hell? I looked to dad who seemed torn.

"D-dad-" my voice wavered. He shook his head and his expression turned cold as he glanced back at mom.

"I can't do anything about it, Sadie." He said, broken.

"Of course you can!" I yelled.

"No Sadie, he's right. We're leaving in the morning." She smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. Disgusted, I shrugged it off and backed away. She can't do this!

"I hate you." I said boldly to her, turned, and ran to my room, slamming the door shut. Putting my hands over my face, I quickly drew them back. They were wet. Angrily I wiped my tears away and slumped to the ground. She can't do this! She just can't, right? I have to do something. My head shot up.

I have to tell John.

**What do you think will happen when Sadie tells John? Let me know what you guys are thinking. Thank you all that are reading! Much love -Crimsonsky132**


	4. Falls Apart

**Here we go! I hope that this chapter doesn't fail to impress -even though was hard for me to write :'( Anyways, let me know what you guys think!**

Chapter 4

**Sadie's Pov**

"You can't be serious." John said, raking a hand through his hair. I had jumped down from my bedroom window to run and get to his house, now to hide underneath his kitchen table. His mom was in bed, and we were trying to be quiet.

"I don't know what to do, John." I said shakily. This is insane! Mom can't do this! I'm not going.

"We can hide you here." he offered. "Mom would be cool with it." I kind of smiled at that.

"This would be the first place they'd look and you know it." I whispered solemnly. John groaned.

"The hideout?"

"As cool as it is there, I don't know how long I'd be able to hide." I countered. "I think I'm gonna run for it. Maybe I should hitchhike." I thought out loud.

"No way, that sucks." He said quickly. "We can figure out something Sadie. And soon too…what if your mom's out lookin for you?"

"Don't say that." I whispered, pulling my knees up to my chest. "I don't want to go with her." Before either of us could speak again we heard steps coming down the hallway. A moment later I saw John's mom come into the kitchen in her pastel pink nightgown, her hair sticking up in different directions. Oh crap. Maybe she won't notice us.

"John?" she called out.

"Y-yeah?" He said after a second. I looked to him half upset and half worried and he put it his hands up in mock surrender. He then took my hand and slowly we made our way from out over the table.

"What's going on?" His mom asked worriedly. "Do you guys know what time it is?"

"We have an emergency mom." John countered. She threw another weary glance towards us then told us to sit down.

"Now, tell me what's wrong." She said after yawning. I didn't know where to start.

"Somethin's happened to my…parents." I whispered. "And now mom thinks she has the right to take me out of Castle Rock. She has tickets to take us to Vegas."

"What? That doesn't make any sense. She can't do that." I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thinks so!

"But she can." John piped up. "She's got all the papers she needs to get out of town untouched…If we do anything bout it she'll get the authorities into it."

"Wait, when's she planning all of this to happen Sadie?"

"Tomorrow morning." I murmured. She slapped a hand over her mouth. "And Chris and Richard can't come." I finished.

"What can we do Mom?" John asked, raking a hand through his hair. As she went to speak we heard a loud bang on the front door that made me jump then go frigid. She stood up quickly and made her way to the edge of the kitchen.

"Stay quiet, you two." She whispered, and we numbly nodded. I looked to John, whose eyes were as big as saucers. John's mom left the room and I heard her shuffle to the front door. She opened it slowly and groggily spoke.

"Hello? What're you doing here Anna Lou?" she asked. Shit. It's my mom.

"Don't play coy with me Lucy Merrill." She spat. John grabbed my hand and we stood up. "Where's my daughter at?"

"I don't know what you mean." His mom said innocently. Without permission I heard my mom rush into the house and John pulled my hand to get us away. We weren't fast enough.

"Sadie Chambers, come here this instant." Mom yelled out once she was in sight, coming over to us.

"Anna Lou, you have no right to do this!" Lucy yelled.

"She's my daughter, I have every right." Mom countered and grabbed my arm, yanking me away from John. That night I was dragged home. I couldn't do anything to stop it, and I bet the whole town could hear me yelling. There's only one thing I know for sure- and that's that I'm not going down without a fight.

That next morning went by too fast for my liking. I wasn't allowed out of mom's sight, and I refrained from packing anything. I'm not going anywhere. Chris and Rich just sat by looking off into the distance. Dad wasn't around. John wasn't around. Mom was happy as ever. I wanted to slump into a corner and be forgotten forever. There were people surrounding the house-everyone must've known that something was wrong. News travels fast in a town like ours.

"Sadie." Mom called out. It was 9:30, and the train leaves soon. "Ready to go?" she asked. Has she lost it? Hell no I'm not ready to go.

I shook my head solemnly and crossed my arms over my chest. "I'm not going to Vegas." She sighed.

"Look, it'll be a new start for us."

"I don't want a new start. Why don't you just go?" I asked.

"Because I'll miss you sweetheart. Look," she began "don't make this harder than it has to be."

"What do you mean?" I asked quietly. Mom scooted closer to me.

"Sadie, come with me to Vegas, and don't make a big deal out of it. We don't want any legal issues for your Dad or even with that Merrill kid, right?" What does she mean? As if reading my mind she continued. "You are legally _my_ daughter, and that means that if your father tries to make a move today, with or without your help, he can be charged with kidnapping you. Now we don't want that, do we?" she asked sweetly. I shook my head. She wouldn't do that, right? And what does this have to do with John?

"If you my dear try and run off, and I find out that Lucy and her son are in on it, I can take that down to the cops. Now, I don't want that for my daughter, or for her hooligan of a friend." She can't do this. She _can't_ do this!

"Don't do it." I whispered. She smiled.

"I won't. Just don't cause any problems today. Okay?" she asked. I didn't answer. _"Okay_?" she repeated, less patient now.

"Okay." I could barely hear myself say it.

I didn't have much time to say goodbye. I just felt numb as we made our way, slowly, if I might add, to the train station a couple blocks away. I can't do anything…or everyone else will get into trouble. Chris and Rich bombarded me with a bear hug, and their breaths were uneven. I bet mine was too. This isn't fair. They're my brothers for goodness sake! Dad was next, and the hug was frigid and short lived. Looking up, his stature seemed to sink down. He was a mess…and I can't do anything.

"Love you." I said wearily. He didn't even say it back, just nodded in agreement. He pulled away and I shook away the foggy thoughts in my head. Denny walked up with his hands in his pockets.

"So…" he started.

"So…" I repeated. His brown eyes looked sad, and I was pulled into yet another hug.

"I'll miss ya slick." He whispered. I nodded. Some goodbye, right? Looking around, John was leaning against the fence on the side of the train station. Noticing the flicker of…pain? Or hurt? I don't really know how to describe it in his eyes. Getting apart from Denny awkwardly I ran up to him though, and he seemed rather cold.

"You okay?" I asked him. He shrugged his shoulders. I circled my arms around him however, yet he still seemed distant. He seemed to grudgingly hug me back. "John?" I asked again. He pulled back, his eyes clouded over, and he wouldn't looked at me.

"You have to go, Sadie." He said solemnly.

"What?" I asked.

"Go." He repeated coldly. Little did I know that Mom was right behind me, that is, until she took hold of my hand and pulled me away from my friend. I was pulled away to the train, my eyes never leaving John Merrill. He wouldn't look back at me. What's happened? As I took my seat on the stuffy train I looked out the window to see Chris and Richard, teary eyed, and being held back by Dad. I frowned. How could Mom do this to us?

Sending one last look back to the crowd, I focused back on John, who finally looked me in the eye, momentarily that is. He turned stiffly then and walked away. No. NO! What's happening? Mom boarded and sat next to me, grabbing my attention as the train started up.

"Nevada, here we come!" Mom sang. I slumped back and closed my eyes, finally letting the frustrated tears burn through me. Mom, why?

**So...let me know what you guys are thinking at this point. Like I said before, this was hard to write-and may (sadly) be bound to get worse for our young friend. Once again, let me know. Much love-Crimsonsky132**


	5. Matter of Worth

**Hey there you guys! I now can proudly say that I HAVE INTERNET CONNECTION! Thanks for the reviews you all have written; they mean so much and I hope you continue with this little journey alongside Sadie!**

**HEADS UP-this has been the hardest chapter to write, and if anyone is uncomfortable with the subject of abuse, there is a break you can bypass. ALSO, there is another character introduced, and I INTENTIONALLY have words misspelled when he speaks. So...as a little heads up there you go. Thanks for listening to my little speech! Haha, and here you all go!**

Chapter 5

**Sadie's Pov**

August 22, 1959

It was another hot day in Nevada, and by the looks of it, there would be no shortage of sun or heat for the week to come. At least that's what the weather said in the crumpled newspaper that I was glancing at, waiting for a family to order their milkshakes and burgers with extra pickles.

Yep, that's right! Sadie Chambers, now at the age of 19 years old was taking orders at the chain of McDonalds' that found its way into the middle of the desert. With a half-hearted smile I walked away, leaving the table to get their orders to Tony, the overweight behemoth with a shy smile. He was a nice enough guy, and believe it or not, that was a rare find in Las Vegas.

It's been a little over seven years that I've been away from the genuine hearts of the folks of a small town, and let me tell you, never have I had to experience anything so gut-wrenching.

To sum things up, once my mother and I set foot here things spiraled downhill. To my mom's disappointment, Vegas wasn't as fun as she thought it was cracked up to be. She worked for scraps so that we could live in a dinky motel room on the outskirts of town. The owner seemed like a nice guy at first, letting us stay there and all, but it was different when he yelled at me to get out of the room whenever he wanted to get up my mom's skirt…Maybe that's why he's let us stay so long.

Mom...damn her. She figured out quickly that her body was a faster money maker than any of the other odd jobs that she had tried for prior to that. What a role model for her kid daughter, right? So that's how it was, and that's how it is. You've got that right; legally I was free to go and leave this hell-hole of a nightmare about a year ago, but I'm trapped, mentally and physically in this place.

Trust me; I tried to ditch Vegas when I first had the chance. Let me tell you, I had saved up $27.25 to get the hell out of dodge right before my eighteenth birthday. I wanted to go _home_. I missed everything, and missed everyone, even Billy Tessio and his womanizing manners. Whether or not the money would take me as far as I would've wanted it to go, anyplace had to be better than this.

If I thought life was bad before that, shit hit the fan at that moment. Let me spell it out for you; everything escaladed when my mother saw her _perfect_ little _angel_ of a daughter sneaking out of the 'house' in the middle of the night. I thought she had fallen asleep. I thought _he _had fallen asleep. Instead of another sleaze creeper for the night, my mother strung out a masochistic boyfriend. He was the worst of them all, and that night has been chiseled into my memory like no other.

**_BREAK_**

"_Sadie, what's going on?" My mother shrilly spoke. Sneaking out of the hotel room was rougher than I thought. The door was creaky and I felt like a deer caught in the headlights. My only chance for freedom was slipping through my fingers. _

"_What the fuck do you think yous is doing ya little bitch?" My mother's company, Eddie slurred out. He was a heavy drinker, and from the looks of it he drank his way through the bars that night. _

"_I was just gonna…" I started, but before I got the chance to come up with a lie he stood up and slumped his way over to me. I guess it looked even more suspicious that I had a bag slung over my shoulder and that I was wearing my running keds._

"_You was gonna what? –you little maggot ain't got shit to do." He spoke harshly. I couldn't take it; he was making my blood boil._

"_I was going out." I said stiffly._

"_You was goin' out?" He mocked, chuckling towards the end. "You ain't got nowheres to be." He was in my face now._

"_You don't know me." I continued defiantly._

"_Sadie," my mother began sternly. "You have no right to speak to Eddie that way. He's done so much for us-" I couldn't let her go on._

"_He hasn't done shit for us! He's a drunken asshole that's only lookin' for a piece of ass-" but I couldn't go on. Eddie slapped me hard against the cheek, making me wince and my mom gasp. He hit me; I mean it really hurt too. Shit, that hurt._

"_Eddie-" my mother began._

"_Shut it, Anna. Now go and gets me more whiskey babe." He slurred venomously. "I'm out of it." he directed at her, but his brown eyes bore into my own. He gave me the creeps._

"_But-" she began, and from the corner of my eyes I saw tears glazing over her own gaze, the sobs being held back. I had never been hit before, regardless of the other men that had come in and out of here._

"_Get my whiskeys, and get it now." He bit out, ending the discussion. My mother was going into hysterics, but instead of helping the situation she slowly made her way over to me and the door. Hell no._

"_I'll, I'll be back soon." She whispered. She wasn't really gonna leave me here, was she?! Giving me a teary eyed glance, she bypassed me and shut the door behind her, leaving me with the asshole. He chuckled again._

"_You really thinks all I'm after is a piece of ass, you little harpy?" He grinned sickly._

"_You're a pile of dog shit." I bit out, turning away._

"_You's not gonna gets away so easily little girl." And with that he grabbed my arm, spinning around and making me lose my balance. I tumbled and he grabbed my by the collar, making me look up at him. "You nevers answered my question."_

"_What would that be?" I questioned, raising a brow._

"_You really thinks all I'm afters is a piece of ass?" he grinned sickly my way. Oh shit. He wouldn't even get that kind of idea in his head would he? "Well maybe I ams." He concluded, and threw me towards the ground._

"_You're sick, get the hell away from me!" I yelled swatting him away. He only cackled, and crouched down next to me. _

"_Worthless you is. You get me? You is worthless." He seethed with a smirk. "You is worthless, and never is you gonna forgets it." He reached down and put a hand on my crotch. Not even a second thought about the situation. I was livid, and squirming away I went to pull out my little pocket knife hidden in the back pocket or my worn jeans. He was too fast and pulled out a knife of his own, holding it to my throat. He wouldn't do anything like that would he?! In the back of my head I knew he would do whatever he wanted without any qualms about it, but c'mon, I'm a fucking child! So there I sat, and for the first time in my life I was fearful, truly fearful of what could happen to my little life._

"_Hey!" he snapped and I looked up to the bastard. "If yous scream, yous blood will be all over the place." He whispered evilly. "Yous has spirit; I like that. You is gonna lose that spirit though, you trusts me. I'm gonna break yous down you worthless little girl." He sneered. I closed my eyes. I closed my eyes…My world was spinning, and nobody would be able to help…_

**___BREAK_**

"Order up!" Tony chimed, and that brought me out of my daze. A set of goose bumps scattered across my skin, but I shook it off as quickly as it had come. "You alright Sadie?" he asked. I merely nodded, and with another halfhearted smile brought the order out to the table.

It was another two hours and I was off my shift, pay in hand, and me heading to the back to put away my apron and nametag. Quickly I made it to the restroom, which was empty. It had been a long two hours after the flashback. Days like that would happen far too often, I thought, and leaned against the wall to catch a breath of air.

"Get a hold of yourself, Chambers." I whispered, the sadness lacing my voice. I had to get a grip. Going over to the sink, I splashed water over my face and sighed. Then grudgingly I stood up straight, and turning I lifted up the back of my shirt. That night scarred me in more ways than one, and staring back at me I understood what Eddie meant.

'_WORTHLESS'_ stared back at me, a tramp stamp of the damned was something I couldn't hide forever. I had to face the facts, and looking into the mirror my spunk was gone; all I could see was a pitiful mess that never had a chance.

"I need a chance. I need a chance…" I breathed out, and pulled off my shoe. I had been saving money again, hiding it away in the keds that would take me where I needed to be. Counting it all together, including what I had made from the day, I had about $60. It would have to work. It would **have** to.

"Let's get the hell out of here, Sadie." I murmured, looking at my reflection one last time. For the first time in almost a year I let a small smile land itself on my face, genuine too. This is my chance.

**Damn that was a rough one to get through...anyways the next chapter takes place in Castle Rock, along with our favorite 'cheap dimestore hood' and the rest of the Cobras! I will most definitely keep up with my writings now that I have a connection. Until next time, Much love-Crimsonsky132**


	6. Perfect Nostalgia

**It has been far to freaking long. I hope you enjoy :) Sadie's finally made it back to Castle Rock!**

Chapter 6

**Sadie's POV**

The train ride was long and uneasy, and the only company I had was a clean cut doctor who sat across from me with a briefcase sitting on his lap. He had fallen asleep, and was a nice enough fella, but to my chagrin I was still shifting uncomfortably in my seat. The seat was wooden and my ass was sore, but it was well worth it. I was on the train to take me home.

_Home._

Shit, I haven't had one of those in years. I waited impatiently for the sun to rise because it could bring me a new beginning. I would be back home with Chris and Richie. I'd have Dennis back. I'd have…_John _back. _'If they remember this low life…'_ I thought and groaned. Get your moxy back chickadee; they're gonna notice you actin' all strange if you keep this up. _'If they notice you at all…'_

"Shut up, Chambers." I murmured, scolding myself.

A couple hours later the doctor, Austin, woke up and we talked quietly about how he was heading out to Castle Rock to take care of his young nephew. He was a rather timid guy, and I found him to be one tough cookie. He took his profession seriously and even offered a cloth to clean up my arms and face. I happily accepted and soon enough the train would be stopping in Castle Rock.

I quickly jumped from the dinky space and was overwhelmed with thoughts. I had called dad as the train was rolling up earlier, and as surprised as he sounded, he became giddy and told me Richard would gladly pick me up from the train station. The problem was…that I didn't know what Richard looked like nowadays. He's not my kid brother anymore; he's all grown up. A few years back a snubbed a photo from mom's purse that dad sent for my fifteenth birthday, but after all this time anything could've happened.

The only other connection I had to Castle Rock over the years had been the couple of calls Dennis and I would share in the middle of the night. He was always so happy, and even then I haven't heard from him in months. Last time I checked he was becoming quite the daredevil and racing jeeps. Maybe I can tag along sometime…I never heard anything from John after all those years.

Stepping off the train had its advantages, like how I'd be home or that I'd never have to go back to Nevada or to _mother dearest_ again. However, there were also some disadvantages…I was alone in a strange place that I could once call home. I was the outsider, and the passerbys knew it. They didn't know me, nor the fact that this place, Castle Rock, was supposed to be my safe haven.

The scorching sun pounded on my forehead, and I grew wary; Richard was no where in sight, and no one was waiting at the train station in general. It was about nine in the morning, and without waiting for anyone to make an appearance I started my way down Main Street. My little town was frozen in time, and all of the nooks and crannies of the little shops stayed the same. My confidence grew as I strutted down the nostalgic neighborhood, and soon enough I maneuvered my way home. Before thinking too hard on the idea I decided to make a pit stop; in front of me was none other than the home of one Denny Lachance. My stomach twisted and I eagerly bounded up the steps to the front door, knocking with all the energy I could muster up. Then the waiting game began.

And I waited.

_And waited._

_And waited…_

Now call me impatient, but as soon as I span around to leave, I heard footsteps racing down from the stairs inside. Instead of meeting the smile of Dennis, I came face to face with a short, doe eyed boy.

"Yes?" The kid asked.

"Well," I began, "Is this still the Lachance house?"

"Yes." He said again.

"Good!" I exclaimed. "I'm an old friend, Sadie Chambers, and I'm looking for-"

"Chambers?" The doe eyed boy asked, and quickly a plethora of familiarity etched in his face. He yelled out "Chris, get your ass down here!"

"What're you moaning about?" Another voice entered…and soon I came face to face with Chris Chambers. He stopped, and we stared at each other for a moment. After a moment of confusion from his end, his eyes grew wide and he jumped at me.

"Sadie!" he yelped, and I held onto him tight. Damn, he's grown. Our hair was still the same color, but he was growing up. Shorty was high-tailing and soon he'd be even taller than I was. "The old man said we'd be getting something in the mail, but damn! Sadie, it's you."

"It's been far too fucking long buddy boy." I giggled, and stepped back.

"And this is Gordy, 'member him?" Chris asked, and I looked back at the doe eyed boy. I'm surprised at how dumbfounded I was. This was Denny's little brother!

"Well hey there, champ." I smiled, and he nodded back at me. "Where's Dennis?" I asked after a moment, and the boys grew quiet.

"He's _not_ here right now." Chris spoke up, and he looked to Gordon. "But hey," he started up, "there's time for that later. Have you been home yet?" I shook my head and he smiled. "Well dad'll want to see you. Let's go."

We walked for a block in silence, and quickly we came up to the house. It was a tad run down on the outside, but I really missed the place.

"Pop!" Chris yelled as we entered.

"What do you want, pipsqueak?" We heard yelled a moment later. I looked to Chris and he merely shrugged his shoulders. "What the hell do you want?" we heard again.

"Dad?" I yelled out, and it was quiet for a moment. Slowly I heard dad moving through the next room so I made my way to the kitchen. He was in a frenzy to clean up the table and floor like a last minute thought, but he stopped when he saw me and looked up.

"Look at my little girl." He whispered to himself. His hair was graying and he had gained weight. Age had taken its toll on him, adding some wrinkles above his forehead and under his eyes. He was still my dad though, and…he looked a bit star struck. "I've missed you kiddo." He said, standing up straight. I made my way over to hug him and was hit was the stench of cheap booze, but I didn't say anything.

"I've missed you too." I smiled, and pulled back. "Have you seen Richie?" I asked him and his brow raised.

"He didn't pick you up?" He grunted.

"Hey, I'm staying at Teddy's tonight, pop." Chris said butting in, adjusting a backpack over his shoulder.

"Yeah yeah, sure thing. If you see you're brother on the way out tell him to get his ass back here." Dad boomed, and he went back to cleaning.

After Chris and Gordy left I headed upstairs to clean up, and dad said he'd make something up for us to eat.

**Chris POV**

That asshole had to push me to the ground and take Gordy's hat. What a fucking prick.

"Hey Eyeball." I yelled out as they were walking away.

"What is it?" Ace smirked, turning back my way.

"You never picked up the package this morning." I said bluntly.

"Big fuckin' deal." Rich said, shrugging his shoulders.

"The hell it is." Gordy spoke up. "_Sadie_ was the package, you ignoramus." They froze.

"She's expecting you." I added. "She's with Pop; _try_ not to blow it." And with that we turned and walked off, ready to meet up with Teddy and Vern.

**Sadie POV**

I snagged one of Richard's white tee shirts and slipped back into my jeans and keds after a quick shower. My hair was no longer tangled and messy, and I brushed it out and allowed it to fall down my back as it dried. 'This is my chance', I smiled once more looking into the mirror, and I opened the door to start my da-

"_Oomph_." I cried out as I ran into someone. They laughed and lifted me over their, I mean _his_, shoulder. His hand got pretty close to the small of my back and I tensed up.

"Sadie, Sadie you clumsy clumsy girl." I heard the guy laugh, and he span me around before setting me back down.

"Who are…" I stopped, looking up at the guy. His dark hair was slicked back and his eyes were the same as mine. His dark tee shirt was crisp and…he was tall. "Richie!" I yelled and jumped to him. He embraced me again and laughed.

"You're lookin' mighty fine. I'll have to keep the guys from jumping all over you, Sadie." He grinned.

"I'll take care of myself, youngster." I joked with him.

"Well I'll be damned." A new voice jumped in, and behind Richard was a tall boy with blonde hair and a cig between his lips.

"Ace, you know my sister." Rich started stiffly.

"_Ace_?" I questioned. Was that his name? The guy stepped up and flung an arm around my shoulders. His eyes were…familiar?

"Now don't tell my you've forgotten ol' John, Miss Chambers." He said with a smirk. Wait…John.

"John…Merrill?" I asked slowly, realization coming over me.

"That's my name, baby. Don't wear it out." He smirked again.

**Bam. She's surely gonna get a wake up call once she meets the rest of the gang too! I hope you've enjoyed, and let me know what you think! Love you guys, and see you soon. -Crimsonsky132 **


	7. Eyeball?

**Hiya! No time to waste, so let's get this show on the road!**

Chapter 7

**Sadie's Pov**

To say the least I was uneasy, not because I was surrounded by hooligans…but that I was no longer one of them myself. I was void of the moxy I had remembered, and it was obvious that they knew something was off as well. I was sitting in a run down convertible with John, well _Ace_, behind the wheel and Richie having an arm over my shoulder. We were zooming through the neighborhood, and only stopped at one stop sign in order to yell over to another car. Ace looked at me, then to the other driver.

"Fuzzy, grab the others and head to the diner." The other driver nodded, and we continued on.

"_Fuzzy_?" I giggled. "What kind of name is that?" I asked, craning my head up to Richie.

"Oh, you don't wanna know." He answered, shaking his head and pulling out a cigarette. "Some things are better left unsaid."

"Damn straight." John murmured, and we continued on. I couldn't take my eyes off him; he'd grown so much over the years. His arms were tan and his cheeks red. His eyes grew more intense, and he held even more power than before. My Johnny was now a man, and a man with a danger about him. As if all of my spunk had transferred to him, he seemed almost unstoppable sitting behind the wheel.

The diner was still powder blue on the inside, and smelled of grease and malts. It was better than any McDonalds could be though, and I'd forgotten just how tasty the food was until I bit down into a burger. I hadn't eaten something as tasty in what seemed to be forever. So I sat, squished between John and Richie in a booth. Across from me sat one grown Billy Tessio, Charlie Hogan, and that Fuzzy kid…and I'll be damned if I didn't say they had grown to be quite the cuties.

I was too engrossed in my burger to care about their petty talk of booze and smokes...that is, until a waitress with too big of tits and a too little shirt came strutting up to our table.

"Can I get you anything else, _Ace_?" she spoke sweetly, batting her eyelashes and bending over the table so I could get a full view of her bust. _Gross._ Like, if my burger weren't nearly as good as it was I would've puked.

"Beth, I got all I need." John said snidely, adjusting his arm over my shoulder. Beth noticed and sent me a look that could kill.

"Well," she began, "how about you boys?"She asked, just as sweetly, and they happily gave her orders of more food and even a compliment or two thrown in the mix.

"Well aren't you a charmer." I joked, whispering to John. He grinned and looked down to me.

"You have no idea, Miss Sadie." And with that he pulled me closer to him, enveloping me in his cologne and smoky smell.

"_Miss_?" I snickered, and his eyes met mine. "More like professional trouble maker, _Mr. Merrill_." And we both grinned.

"We'll have to test that out." He concluded, sitting back. Beth was still there, clearing plates and sending me another glare. She tipped over a malt on accident, and it splashed all over the table, Richie, and me.

"Fuck." We said simultaneously, and looked at each other.

"I'm…_so_ sorry." Beth murmured and hurried off.

"Here, go clean up." John said, letting the two of us out of the booth. Scurrying to the bathroom, my clean shirt was now drenched in chocolate malt. I tried to scrub out as much as I could, but was quickly interrupted when someone grabbed my shoulder and span me around.

"Who do you think _you_ are, ya lil harpy!" A shrill voice spat at me, and none other than Beth had said it. "I've been working my butt off for Ace to notice me for months, and I'm not going to let some little _reject_ steal my chances away from me. I've had dibs on him since we were kids, so leave him the fuck alone. He won't want someone like you. At least _I'm_ pretty; you look like you belong in a garbage bin." She finished icily, clawing into my arm. I snarled at her.

"Since kids, huh? Some little reject, huh? I'm Sadie Chambers. You can go running back to Billy for all I care, like when we are kids. You don't fuck around with me. No one fucks around with me. I may not be bimbo gal pal material, hun, but at least I don't need that to get the attention." I was louder and louder, and pushed her away from me.

"Like you'd get any attention." She scoffed. The bathroom door sprung open and Richie hurried to me, throwing an arm over my shoulder and turning me away.

"It's not like I'm asking for any." I scoffed.

"You're a has-been." She spoke again. "Ace only likes pretty girls." I froze. "No one will want a whore like you. You're _trash_." Richie tried to move me, but I wouldn't budge.

"A _whore_ like _me_." I repeated slowly.

"Sadie, she's not worth it." Richard whispered.

"Fuck you." I whispered back. "At least let me stand up for myself."

"It'll cause more problems."

"_More_?" I stared at him.

"What's the problem here?" A new voice entered. Ace stood at the door with a quizzical look, and Beth rushed over to him.

"Oh, she's _so_ mean to me. Make her stop! She threatened to hurt me, Ace. Make her stop!" She cried, throwing her arms around him. He looked to Richie, then to me, and smirked.

"Is that so? She's a tiger." He finished, and grinned at me.

"GET OUT." Another voice entered, and a short and square man red in the face ushered us out of the diner.

We found ourselves on the road again, to a less populated hang out joint, and I found my energy returning. If a good hissy fit is what I needed to get my attitude up, then so be it. Doesn't mean that her words didn't sting though. And the entire ride to where we were going I couldn't shake the fact that some of them were true.

"Don't let her get to you, doll face," Richie soothed, pulling me closer.

"Yeah, yeah." I fake whined, trying to get away from him.

"What're you doin' to her, Eyeball?" John laughed, looking over to us.

"_Eyeball?_" I questioned. They grew quiet.

"Eyeball." Richie confirmed after a moment, and he closed one eye. It was all scarred and battered up…I suppose I wasn't the only one with a secret to hide.

**Love you guys, and I hope you've enjoyed! Let me know what you think. Much love, Crimsonsky132**


	8. Drunken Mess

**My friend is getting deployed and I'm losing my mind...so I hope you guys enjoy.**

Chapter 8

**Sadie's Pov**

I was entranced.

They carved into themselves, not with fear, but excitement. They knew exactly who they were and exactly where they wanted to be. In that moment, they were brothers. Taking turns they etched the word _'Cobras'_ into their forearms, with the_'s'_ transforming into a serpent. All the while we were joking around and passing beers. Everything seemed to be surreal.

I was joking with Richie, err, Eyeball. I found out that the nickname came from a night that my dad threw a beer bottle at him, and a scrap of glass scarred him just below the eye. John was known as Ace not only because he was the leader of their little gang, but also because no one could beat him at a game of cards. Speaking of which, he gave me his white t-shirt…leaving himself shirtless. Damn, I must have blushed like wild, but he didn't say anything. He'd just look over at me once in a while, smirking to himself.

My John was back. I was back, and they all welcomed me in. They talked about getting out of Castle Rock, about girls, money, booze, about a missing kid, and bets. I loved the bets the most. They were making bets over who could drink the most or who could boost the most cars. Fuzzy talked about racing bikes, and pulled out a mighty fine dirt bike from the back, which caught my interest.

"Is it like racing jeeps?" I asked with curiosity. The boys smiled.

"Kinda, but these bikes get a whole lot faster, missy." Billy Tessio smiled.

"Right on. Dennis told me he was racing jeeps nowadays. Maybe you could beat him in a race sometime." I giggled. They didn't laugh with me, but grew quiet and looked to the ground. "What?" I questioned defensively after a moment.

"Sadie," Rich spoke up sourly, "Denny got in a jeep accident and…_died_ this spring." He looked from me over to John, who I noticed was clenching his jaw and crossing his arms.

"What do you mean? Died? I was over there this morning and everything seemed fine-" I was cut off.

"_You_ were over _there_?" John burst out. His demeanor turned cold.

"Well, yeah. It was on my way home-"

"So what? Is Lachance important or something?" he spat.

"What's your problem?" I was taken aback.

"That goody two-shoes being the hot-shot is grade A bullshit, Chambers." He bellowed.

"John, what the hell are you going on about?" I questioned, shocked.

"_He's _the golden boy, and _I'm_ the fuck up. Isn't that right? You'd rather see _him_, right? _He's_ more important than _me_, right Sadie?" He spat my name like it was a sour taste in his mouth. I was stunned and took a step back. Rich put an arm around me and looked to him.

"Ace." He began, almost as a warning.

"What, you have nothing to say?" John asked, looking my way. "Some friend _you_ are-"

"Me?" I chirped up. "At least Dennis had the decency to try and talk to me through all this time I was in that hell hole. What'd I get from you? Nothing. So some friend I am? No. Some friend _you_ are, John Merrill. Fuck you." I concluded, and his eyes looked as if they could kill. Without another word though he grabbed his car key and walked off. Soon, I could hear his car's engine roar to life and speed off. The air was still and no one knew what to do.

"Fuck." Rich breathed out.

"Well…what just happened?" Billy added.

"Ace…just walked out." Another guy spoke up. I just stood there, shaken up. He pushed a button. Damn him. Like he knew what the hell was going on.

"Sadie…come with me." Richard said quietly. Something was bothering him too, and without another word I followed. We walked away from the others, down a dirt road, and across a big field.

"Where the hell are we going?" I asked and he chuckled.

"Be patient. We're almost there." We walked over a small hill…and sat down. We were overlooking the entire town, seeing the little cars in the distance. "Sadie, I'm sorry about John." Richie said after a little bit. The sun was hot on my forehead and I looked down to the cracking ground.

"What happened?" I asked, more to myself then to him.

"I'm not supposed to talk about it…It's a secret." I glanced at him, quizzically at first, then with a grin.

"And we both know how well you handle secrets, Richie." He smiled back.

"Not to good, huh?" he grinned.

"_Nope_. So spill your guts." I concluded. He took a moment to gain his composure and spoke quietly.

"Pops got real bad after you left Sadie. He started drinking a lot more and would hide us whenever we got the chance. Chris and I are on different wavelengths even…" he paused. "_Anyways_, school was tough. Ace, err, John got kicked from the college courses after you left."

"Why?" I interrupted. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Couldn't keep up I suppose. He was held back a year, so I had classes with 'im. That's how we got closer. That's how we found the others."

"The Cobras?" I asked, and he grinned.

"You know it, sis. But that's not it…" he faded off.

"What do you mean, Richie?" I croaked.

I ended up talking with him till the sun no longer could burn my skin. We talked about how bad Dad got, how it took a toll on him and Chris, and how at one point they thought of running for it. We talked about town, and how it was stuck in time. Only a couple of new people passed through now and again, and Richie wanted to go down south, to Texas it sounded to go somewhere big, to make a name for himself. I talked little of Las Vegas, or of Mom even. I told him how I worked at a burger joint, and he wanted to try out a McDonald's burger. We talked about Dennis, and how Chris and Gordon came to be friends. We talked about John…

He was hurt.

Apathetic.

Wanting.

Jealous.

Angry. He was angry most of all.

"But Sadie," Richie started, "he really does care. Imagine that…he cares about ya."

"I don't get it." I mumbled, and he threw a solemn smile my way.

"I can't go into it right now, just trust me, will ya?"

"Trust you? Now why'd I do that, Chambers?" I smirked.

"Because maybe _you'll_ thank _me_ someday." He smirked back. Before I could question it, he pulled me up. "Now let's go get him."

"This late?" The sun had set and the moon lit the night.

"Yeah…I know where to find him." He frowned.

Irby's.

The place was dimmed with lights and Richie opened the door for me. A plume of smoke exited, and following it we entered the small bar. There were billiards tables and booths, and the bar was across from me. With Rich pointing off to the side he found John, slumped in his chair with his hands. He was facing away from me, and Rich nudged me.

"Go talk to him." He said simply.

"Why?" I asked, looking around the place.

"You both could use it. I'll be outside." Without another word he exited, and I stood, staring at the back of John's head. Taking a breath, I walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"John-" He slurred out a curse and threw my hand from him. He turned to me looking ready to fight, but his face faltered as he looked back at me. "Sorry." I whispered, and stepped back.

"_You're_ sorry?" He asked, curious. "_I_ almost took your arm off." He chuckled. "My bad, little lady."

"Are you okay?" I wondered, sitting in a stool next to him. He yelled at the bartender.

"I need another bud!" Then he turned to me. "I just need a little more of the good stuff in me. Then I'll be fit to see the pope." He said sourly.

"I think you've had enough." I said, quietly once more. Looking to me, his eyes were glazed over and he was definitely out of it.

"Sadie. No one calls me out." He said out of the blue. "I'm Ace. I'm the _best_." He slurred out proudly. "But you," he started, pointing at me, "you called me out Mrs. Chambers." He was going to go on, but stopped, looking down at me. "You're still wearing my shirt." He said, more to himself than to anyone else.

"Yeah." I confirmed, looking down at the t-shirt.

"I like it." He smiled, but soon it turned to a grimace. He took another swig from a beer and lit up a cigarette, turning away from me.

"What's the matter?" I asked him, and he sneered.

"You left." He downed his beer and turned back to me. "You fucking left me. Why would _you_ do that?"

"What?" I asked, and he stood up.

"You left me. And now you think that it's okay to just barge back in here like you're some celebrity. You're miss hard-to-get-Chambers. Get out of here." He yelled at me, getting everyone's attention.

"John-" I began.

"No." His voice shook, and he stumbled towards me. "Get outa-" his leg gave out and he was headed towards the ground, but I grabbed onto his waist to steady him. The bartender came out from the back and glared at us."

"He's drunk. Get him out of here." Without another word I nodded and started dragging John to the door. He grumbled, but said nothing. Once at the door he stood on his own, and we exited Irby's with my arm around torso. He wasn't steady.

"At least buy me a meal, missy." John murmured to himself with a grin.

"You wish."

There was a bench across the street that we ended up sitting on, and John let his legs stretch out.

"How much did you drink?" I asked, now less patient with him.

"Enough." Was all he said.

"Why did you drink so much?" I continued.

"Because." He pouted like a baby, then lit up another cigarette.

"Lay off on those, I think you've had enough tonight." He rolled his eyes at me. In turn I plucked it from his hand and pulled it away, but he moved with me and grabbed at it like a child.

"Give it back." He said stiffly, but his body wasn't as compliant, and he ended up giving me an odd side hug grabbing for the cig. "I'll get mad." He warned.

"You've already been mad." I sighed. He looked at me with a frown. "Don't get mad." I said, and put out the butt. He groaned and looked at me.

"Mad." He repeated.

"Why were you mad?" I asked softly. He looked dumbfounded, then raked a hand through his hair.

"Don't worry about it." He said coolly.

"I worry about it." I concluded, and he frowned.

"Don't."

"Why?" I questioned, cocking my head.

"Because." I stared him down, and he sighed. "I'm garbage Ace Merrill."

"John," I began.

"No one calls me that anymore…" he drifted off, his body swaying.

"You're not garbage." I said, looking away.

"You don't even know." He chuckled, and he grabbed at my chin, pulling me towards him. He licked his lips and looked me in the eye, and moved in so our noses were almost touching. "One thing hasn't changed though." He chimed. "I still love y-" and before he finished he passed out, his nose brushing past my chin. John winded up a drunken mess asleep in my lap.

**Hope you guys enjoy! Love you all, and sorry I've been slacking. I'll update as soon as I can, and until then, muah lovelies. -Crimsonsky132**


	9. Dead Body

**This is one hell of a way to start my Halloween, and I hope you're all going to have a lovely time! Here we go, but maybe we'll find a little more sober Ace this go around. Lemme know what you think!**

Chapter 9

**Sadie's Pov**

I woke up in an unknown bed, in an unknown room. The covers were scratchy and the room was dimmed from the curtains covering the window. Jeans were scattered on the ground as well as beer bottles and empty cigarette boxes. It wasn't until I sat up and started rubbing my eyes that I heard other voices. The door opened carefully and in popped the head of one John Merrill, a most sober John in fact.

"Mornin' beautiful." He whispered, and came into the room fully.

"How'd we get here-" I began.

"I woke up…and as cozy as that bench was, neither of us need splinters in our asses." He smirked. I nodded slowly. "Coffee?" he asked, and in one of his hands he had a mug. I eagerly nodded now, and he sat on the end of the bed, handing over the coffee.

"Well, _you_ seem in better spirits…" I murmured to myself more than to him. I wonder if he remembered the night. "Sorry about yesterday." I started.

"Sadie?" He asked, looking up. "You slept on a bench. I treated you like shit. I was shitfaced. It's my turn to be sorry." He stated. "And…I missed you. A _lot_ more than I'd admit to anyone else." He frowned.

"Why?" I asked quietly, sitting in front of him.

"I haven't behaved well around people in a while. It's…difficult for this hooligan to not be a total prick." He smirked.

"Knock it off." I said harshly, and he looked quizzical. "Don't talk down about yourself, Mr. Ace. Now really, how bout you tell me the real reason?" I smirked, and he, dare I say, blushed of embarrassment.

"It's been almost seven years…" He started.

"You remembered?"

"I can't forget. I treated you like shit the day you left too." He grumbled.

"Why?" I asked again, looking him in the eye. Damn he was handsome. Looking closer, there were circles around his eyes and he had a firm grimace.

"I. I don't know Sadie. I was a jerk, and you had no choice to go. And then my dad came back-" he stopped quickly. He was struggling. It's like I was wrapped up with him in time and we were as close as we were before. Before I knew it I crawled over and planted a kiss on his cheek. He stuttered and looked back with wide eyes. "Why'd you-?" he began.

"Well, I missed you too John." I shared, almost as a whisper. He grinned and looked down for a moment, then back up to me.

"You did?"

I nodded, and his grin grew.

"Really?" he asked.

"Positive." I confirmed. His face lit up…and he looked livelier than I had ever seen him.

"You swear?"

"Pinky swear, Merrill." I concluded boredly, and took a sip of my coffee. "You're as bubbly as a girl." I stated, and he raised his brow.

"And if you ever tell anyone you're in real fuckin' trouble Chambers." He smirked. Now was my time to raise my brow. He was bluffing.

"You're full of it. What's the worst you could do?" I asked. Without any warning he took away the coffee cup and lunged at me, tickling my sides and surprising the daylights out of me! I tried to stop him, but I ended up squirming to the other side of the bed and couldn't stop laughing. "Mercy!" I cried, and eventually he eased up. He was cracking up the whole time. "Why don't you act your age, John?" I croaked. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm in the prime of my youth missy, and we'll only be young once." He smirked.

"Yeah, but you're gonna be stupid for the rest of your life." I came back at him. He grinned.

"Then I've got a shit ton of idiots following me around too. Hey, care to stop by Irby's later?" He started quickly, lighting up a cigarette and standing up.

"No more drinking for you." I exclaimed, and he held his hands up in mock surrender.

"Sheesh, you've been in town a day and you're already actin' like my mother." He chuckled. The mention of his mom made my eyes light up. She was one hell of a woman I tell ya. And you know this one time, when I fell out of the apple tree in her backyard she gave me and John root beers to keep us from squawking' to my parents.

"How is she?" I blurted out, and he stopped laughing.

"She's a spitfire. Workin' for a new doc nowadays." He grew quiet all of a sudden. "Sadie?" he began.

"Yes?" I answered curiously. He took a deep breath and looked me in the eyes.

"About last night, I don't know if you remember me saying-" All of a sudden there was a pounding on the front door, startling both John and I. "What the hell do you want?" John yelled to the door, then went over and cracked it.

"Ace, everything okay? I can't find her; I've looked all over!" A voice spoke hurriedly and John rolled his eyes.

"Eyeball, she's here, okay? You're acting like my grandmother having a conniption fit. Sadie!" John called, and I too went over to the front door. There stood a disheveled Rich, and I laughed to myself.

"You look like shit Richie." I smiled, and he came into the house and swooped me into a hug. "What's up buttercup?"

"Charlie still needs to talk to you." He directed towards John and he nodded, and then turned back to me. "And Dad was gonna shoot me if I didn't find you. He wanted to get you some new clothes…he said you didn't bring much from Vegas." I nodded.

"Meet me at Irby's at noon." John smirked my way, and I left with Richard.

Dad wasn't the best, especially when it came to shopping for a girl. He wanted me to get dresses, and don't you get me wrong I have no trouble with em, but he was going overboard. He wanted flower print and little pump shoes…but I begged for a new pair of keds. I managed to get a nice pair of denim as well, as long as dad could pick out a dress. My favorite was a black shirt with a little swoop neck. After our little _bonding_ time, Dad was pretty excited. Like there was a new light about him. He was really trying to be a parent, and after what I had heard from Richie the day before I was definitely stunned.

Lunch time was coming along and Rich and I were headed over to Irby's. We didn't say much, but walking with him was comfortable. The whole gang of Cobra's were inside playing a game of billiards, and Richie joined them. I stood on a bar stool watching their game, and a lady started passing around beers.

"How about you, toots?" She directed towards me with a big grin. I shook my head and she laughed. "I guess that means more for them, huh?" I laughed with her.

"I suppose so. They drink as much as a horse." She grinned again at my comment. I looked up to see John staring at me, and he indicated for me to come over with his finger. I nodded and stood, and maneuvered my way through the crowd. "What's up, doll face?" I smirked, poking him in the side.

"You looked mighty lonely off in that corner, missy." He smirked, and pulled out another cigarette. "Up for an adventure?" He smirked, and I raised a brow. Before I had the opportunity to answer, he grabbed my hand and sashayed us to the front door. The only thing I heard from the others was a cat call or two, and a snicker. "Eh, shut up, asswipes." John retorted back, and we left.

"What kind of adventure?" I asked once we were outside. He shushed me and we kept walking till we were near the cars. "What is it?" He smirked and pulled me closer.

"Wanna see a dead body?"

**This chapter is the calm before the storm, and I hope you've enjoyed! Ace may be a prick around his pals..well, you get the idea. Happy Halloween lovelies! Muah! -Crimsonsky132**


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